Average Dealer Documentation Fees by State

Dealer documentation fees (also known as doc fees), cover a dealer's administrative costs related to title, registration, and other paperwork involved with the car purchase.

Doc fees range from $0 to nearly $1,000 depending on which dealer and state you purchase from. Some states such as California limit the maximum amount a dealer can charge for this fee, but most have no limits.

You cannot negotiate a dealer's doc fee because they are required by law to charge the same amount to every customer. You can, however, ask them to reduce the price of the vehicle to compensate for a high doc fee.

TrueCar.com has compiled a list of average doc fees charged in each state. The data is from July 2011.

They found the highest doc fees to be in the Southeast region of the United States with Florida having an average doc fee of $607. The lowest doc fee is found in California, with an average fee of only $55.

Dealer Documentation Fees
(as of July 2011, subject to change)

State

Average
Dealer Doc Fee*

Range of Fees

Statewide Cap or Rules?

AL

$458

$0 to $899

No cap or rules

AR

$97

$0 to $129

Restrictions on Display/Terminology

AZ

$401

$199 to $539

No cap or rules

CA

$55

$0 to $55

$55

CO

$508

$249 to $689

No cap or rules

CT

$357

$245 to $499

No cap or rules

DC

$299

$299 to $299

No cap or rules

DE

$241

$50 to $349

No cap or rules

FL

$607

$0 to $999

No cap or rules

GA

$502

$0 to $899

No cap or rules

HI

$245

$245 to $245

No cap or rules

IA

$134

$89 to $199

No cap or rules

ID

$286

$250 to $314

No cap or rules

IL

$155

$150 to $155

$155

IN

$178

$149 to $475

No cap or rules

KS

$235

$119 to $299

Restrictions on Display/Terminology

KY

$354

$0 to $698

No cap or rules

LA

$103

$100 to $100

$100

MA

$321

$195 to $495

No cap or rules

MD

$131

$0 to $200

$200

ME

$336

$198 to $399

No cap or rules

MI

$181

$75 to $214

$194 Max Doc Fee + flat $21 Electronic Filing Fee

MN

$75

$75 to $75

$75

MO

$174

$0 to $199

Restrictions on Display/Terminology

MS

$274

$139 to $399

No cap or rules

MT

$224

$99 to $338

No cap or rules

NC

$466

$0 to $699

No cap or rules

ND

$124

$98 to $149

No cap or rules

NE

$222

$29.5 to $399

No cap or rules

NH

$304

$240 to $399

Restrictions on Display/Terminology

NJ

$270

$98 to $399

No cap or rules

NM

$263

$69 to $349

Restrictions on Display/Terminology

NV

$431

$345 to $599

No cap or rules

NY

$74

$45 to $75

$75

OH

$247

$99 to $250

$250

OK

$235

$149 to $399

No cap or rules

OR

$61

$50 to $100

No cap or rules

PA

$122

$72 to $250

No cap or rules

RI

$231

$196 to $379

No cap or rules

SC

$293

$0 to $599

No cap or rules

SD

$93

$49 to $149

No cap or rules

TN

$402

$289 to $699

No cap or rules

TX

$125

$50 to $150

$150 Max; Restrictions on Display

UT

$293

$0 to $398

No cap or rules

VA

$403

$0 to $599

No cap or rules

VT

$148

$0 to $296

No cap or rules

WA

$145

$50 to $150

$150

WI

$152

$89 to $199

No cap or rules

WV

$129

$85 to $175

No cap or rules

WY

$388

$205 to $499

No cap or rules

*Top 10 Lowest by Average are labeled in green; top 10 highest by average are labeled in red.

My Recommendation for Car Shoppers

TrueCar No-Haggle and Edmunds Price Promise are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.
- Gregg Fidan

About: Gregg Fidan

Gregg Fidan + is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.

If you have any tips or information that will help car buyers save money, please let me know so I can share it with everyone.Email Me Tips

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